Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

The Wren Hunt is an atmospheric YA fantasy set in modern Ireland with deep ties to Irish mythology. A bit clunky to start, it eventually sucks you in, becoming a tale full of tension with some horror/thriller elements and a forbidden romance. Wren is an Augur- part of a secret magical group that has been losing power for decades to their enemies, the Judges. Every Christmas, she is chased through the woods by a group of Judge boys in a sinister game. Hiding her true identity, she takes a dangerous undercover assignment at Harkness House, the center of Judge power. Wren finds herself at the center of dangerous intrigue and deception and must decide who she will be.

There are some pacing issues early on. A very creepy intro gives way to a dense period of info-dumping and uninteresting setup. But once the story gets going and Wren gets deeper into the world, uncovers secrets, and experiences strange things you really don't want to put it down. At times she makes really stupid decisions that feel as if they are intended to move the plot forward, a sign of less mature writing. The romance felt a little rushed, or maybe not as fleshed out as I wanted it to be. However, there are some truly creepy elements, an inventive world, and a tension-filled plot that keeps you turning the pages.

David, the ringleader of Wren's yearly harassers is very creepy and the entire books carries the threat of violence from him, which can be disturbing. In terms of content, be aware that there are a couple instances of animal cruelty, as well as physical violence and an unspoken threat of sexual violence. Despite some problems, I really enjoyed most of my reading in this world and am interested to see future work from this author. I received an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Bizarre, and interesting to say the least.

I truly feel like you need to go into this story knowing not a whole lot but I'm also only saying this because I struggle to explain what this book is even about. In this world, the augurs and the judges are both fighting to secure their powers and with Wren, our main character, being a Augur, she is sent to work among the judges as a spy to earn their trust and gain valuable information to help restore her family’s power.

I found the story to be very confusing with a lot of roundabouts. Including the dialogue which repeated itself many times and I found myself rolling my eyes because of this and even skimming passages. I felt like the plot couldn't decide what it wanted to do. I can see a lot of people enjoying this very mysterious story. It's definitly a book you need to immerse yourself fully in.

I regret having to admit that this is a DNF for me. I never should have requested a fantasy story; they're not my favorite, I thought I'd give it a try, though, since I like what this publisher puts out. Rather than give a bad review, I'm confessing my misguided intentions. Sorry, Mary and Bloomsbury and NetGalley.

The Wren Hunt kept me interested from the very beginning. It started with a chase - every year, right after Christmas, some boys would chase Wren. She didn't like it. It seemed a little scary.

There are two feuding groups of magical people in this book: the augurs and the judges. They were supposed to be enemies. Wren is an augur. The people that chased her every year were judges, but they didn't know she was an augur.

This book had some of the vibes of A Weight of Feathers. Wren ended up infiltrating the judges, and developed a relationship with one of them. As can be expected, she's eventually found out. There was a twist at the end that was surprising.

The Wren Hunt was set in modern-day Ireland and drew a lot on druidic type magic. It's unique setting made it interesting, but there were parts, at first, that were slightly confusing. The story was so interesting that I was happy to keep reading and eventually the terms weren't confusing anymore.

I really liked this book and found it to be worth reading.

3.5 STARS

This read was a ROLLERCOASTER for me, now that I’ve had a couple days to sit and think about it. Ultimately, I felt like it was super worth my time, but I also can’t let go of some things that bothered me as well, which is such a weird position to be in. Normally, I have one thing that bothered me and lots I loved, or the other way around, but this was such a mix. I guess the best way to tackle it is going to be by going through it all one point at a time!

For starters, I LOVED the atmosphere, especially when Wren was involved with the magic of the Augurs. It’s all rooted in Irish magic, which ties it heavily to natural magics, and there was something incredibly fascinating about it. Individual talents aren’t predictable, and they can be used creatively, rather than along a rigid set of rules. The magic, in a way, has a life of its own. Plus, the magic of the Augurs is largely based in patterns, which is super interesting and not something I would have thought of myself. I really, really liked that.

I also liked the plot, once it got rolling. Books that feature heists or spying are some of my favorite things, especially when they don’t fall into the class of “spy thriller” in any sort of way, so I enjoyed the way Wren interacted with the heist plot through the bulk of the book. It’s fun reading about characters stealing things, and it’s double fun when there are big consequences, which there are here. SUCH big consequences.

But on the flip side, the beginning AND the end of the book were really rough. The beginning felt weirdly detached to the rest of the book (I’m still not clear why it’s Wren that HAS to go out on St Stephen’s Day, why she can’t just stay inside for the day), and the ending left a bad taste in my mouth. It feels like there should be a sequel, but I believe the author has said there will only be companion novels, one’s not told from Wren’s POV, and that just doesn’t feel satisfying. Not to mention the ending not only just dropped off and ended way too quickly, but (AND SPOILERS AHEAD) the choices Wren made imply she abandoned the entire seventeenish years of her life to get cozy with the people who’ve oppressed her people. She swore off all of her own people for the actions of just a few, and I’m…not loving that.

My other frustration is that for a good chunk of the novel, Wren feels like a passive figure. I get that she’s hardly a trained spy and all that, but she spends a lot of time listening without doing, and didn’t feel like a very proactive character until the end. And characters really should be proactive where possible, because reactionary characters can be pretty boring to read about.

Ultimately, I’m sticking to my 3.5 star rating because on one hand the parts I liked, I really, really liked, and that totally counts for something! My ratings are in part based on how much I enjoyed the book, even with the flaws taken into consideration. But on the flipside, there was enough in The Wren Hunt that also put me off, so I can’t really justify a higher rating than this. Such a weird position to be in, to say that I liked it but also didn’t love it. I’m usually a lot more black and white about reviews than this.

Anyway, if you think you’d be interested in reading about Irish magic and grouchy girls and dangerous boys and plants and patterns and birds, The Wren Hunt might just be for you, and you can preorder it before it comes out on November 6 this year! And if you’ve already read it or preordered it, what do you think? Are you excited? Not so excited? Let’s chat!

I stayed up way to late trying to finish this book because I could not. put. it. down.

It initially starts out a bit slow and confusing. There is a lot of discussion of judges vs. augurs, when you haven’t quite been told what those are. The most confusing bit was understanding the Nemeta. I finished this book and still not quite sure what those are, but alas, this book still gets a lot of praise from me.

Once some more lines are established the book increasingly becomes a page turner. The action fluctuates well and it keeps the flow of the novel going steady.

The romance though. It’s always hard in a standalone to play a good romance (in my opinion). Watson does such a great job at this! Tarc and Wren gave me all the feels. There’s a strong push and pull between them that without even realizing it has it’s own consequences.

If like me, you had to read Romeo & Juliet in high school then you can definitely see the parallels. Yet, the approach itself felt new. It is a fantasy book, but with a contemporary edge. I loved that. Threw me off at first, but the longer I went, the more I grasped onto that concept. Pay attention to all of the lines weaving through this book! It was fun to see where they all connected and formed the final web.

The side characters are a little mixed. I personally liked a few, and didn’t like others. There wasn’t an over-abundance of names though. So you aren’t sitting there trying to figure out who’s who. It’s also set in IRELAND! Nifty and different. I love the branching out in story sets I’ve been seeing from a lot of authors I’ve read recently.

Wren is a sound character overall. Her arc allows some depth and growth as she fights to stay loyal in a losing battle only to realize the betrayal around her. She is young and naive about some things, but it was never annoying to me. It played out well and you understand her choices. Wren finally decides to stand up for what she wants and makes the ultimate decision.

Overall Audience Notes:
— Young adult fantasy, set in a contemporary world
— Language
— Kiss scenes are very mild
— Violence in the forms of fists, knives, and guns

This is exactly the type of atmospheric novel that I love. Rich with Irish mythology but set in present day, THE WREN HUNT is written with a lovely lulling prose and a subtle uneasy air that will have you holding your breath as you turn the page. It was like nothing I expected but rather far more captivating than I could've hoped.

The characters are slow unwinding riddles, the plot is not as it seems, there is darkness and action as well as laughter and light, but overall the story is something told over a midnight fire, found in a long lost journal, or whispered in the forest while you walk alone. Such a unique read!
-pooled ink

Tl;dr: A fresh, exciting contemporary/historical fantasy novel aimed at young adults but good for adults as well.

The Wren Hunt is so good! The first few chapters might be a bit confusing for those unfamiliar with Irish/Celtic mythology as Ms. Watson starts the novel with a (literal) chase and doesn't let up the pace at all-- rather than going for the typical " here's all the info!" dump found in so many fantasy novels, you're left, much like Wren, the mc is, to figure it all out.

The writing is lyrical and concise--there isn't a word wasted here. As for the plot, no spoilers except to say there are several twists in The Wren Hunt, most of which aren't surprising but one, at least for me, was as unexpected as it was for Wren. I love it when a novel surprises me!

I also have to say that it was utterly refreshing to have the main male charcter's name be Tarquin. I mean, Tarquin! Granted, he goes by Tarc, but still. Given that use of the name usually inspires a character who is a total prat, I loved seeing it repurposed so awesomely.

And! The way The Wren Hunt mixes contemporary and historical, fantasy and folklore--and does it all without being hundreds and hundreds of pages? Awesome with a side of fabulous!

Finally, I do hope this a stand alone! I loved the ending, which didn't tie everything up--and I adore that because life very rarely ends neatly and it's wonderful when novels do that: show you a world, make you care, and let you go with a kiss of hope as you leave.

I do think The Wren Hunt will appeal to teen readers--I am certainly going to do my best to get it to Maggiec Stiefvaetr fans and even all the fantasy readers who think they don't like contemporary novels, and I think it would appeal to adult readers as well, especially those looking for a well written and fast paced contemporary novel that mixes fantasy, folklore, and even mystery in a fresh way.

I did receive an ARC, but liked this so much I preordered it, and will be investigating Ms. Hunt's backlist through The Book Depository.

The Wren Hunt is a well written, fast paced, and unique novel that appeals to fans of almost any genre? What's not to love?! An easy five stars.

The Wren Hunt was unlike anything I've read before. No world building or descriptions of any kind - very quick with dialogue and scenes, but what it lacks in those areas, it makes up for with the actual story being told. Unique in every way! Oh, if I had only paid better attention to that cover picture, but I was wrapped up in the magic, intrigue, forbidden romance, and more that it slipped right through my radar until it was staring me right in the face. Definitely recommend if you are looking for something different and outside the box!

This book was very interesting, it was one of those books that is hard to keep up with at the beginning, but as you keep reading you get hook on the story. At the beginning Wren is chased by the bad boys in the village, this is a tradition that happens around the country boys chased the mythical wren every Christmas. In Wren's case, her mother sealed her fate when she named her Wren, for this reason she is literally chased and abuse (mentally and physically) every Christmas. Although she survived this last chased she now has to survive her new mission, to infiltrate the Enemies home. Here she spies the judges looking for clues to find the stones. Here she meets Tarc and they begin flirting, their flirting is just adorable and I fell in love with their Romance. I will really recommend my reading club reads this book!

The Wren Hunt by Mary Watson is a well written and slowly unfolding tale of magic, history, and secrets. It is pulls you slowing into the story, but the pace of the novel is quick. The feel of this novel is unique and strange all while you keep reading without realizing you can't put it down. Watson weaves a spell of sorts on the reader and before you know it half the book is gone. I have to say that I haven't read anything quite like it lately and was pleasantly surprised how sad I was when it ended.